Xosé Manuel Seivane Rivas

Birth Date: In 1921 († 27th january 2012)
Birth Place: Fonmiñá, Pastoriza (Lugo)
 Curriculum

He made his first bagpipe in 1939 in a small studio in his native village, creating the first “Seivane” hallmark. Although he was already a bagpiper and clarinettist, he achieved his childish dream of making his own instrument.

His father was a great carpenter and he inherited his father’s technique, tools and wood. He also inherited his mother’s musical sensitivity, mainly tuning and tone. He also got from her the melodies of bagpipers who had already died such as Curuxeiras, who had been born in A Pastoriza.

Xosé Manuel was one of the few people of his time who could both make and play the pipes in such a way that he developed the constructive technique from a deep musical feeling.
 

 Work & Activities

During his military service in Pontevedra, he got in touch with Antón Represas, “O Marreco”, who helped him make bagpipes for the army, sharing experience and knowledge.

Some years later, he got married and established himself in Ribeira de Piquín (Lugo). At first, he only supplied bagpipes for bagpipers in the surroundings, but he soon expanded the limits and turned his studio into a reference place for bagpipers and lovers of Galician traditional music.

His children, Álvaro (Ribeira de Piquín, Lugo, 1952) and Xosé Manuel (Ribeira de Piquín, Lugo, 1964) have followed his steps since they were young in the same way he did in relation to his father. By his side they receive small secrets of daily work, those appearing with the daily wood touch as well as the ability to remember the sound when hearing it. The timbre of Seivane hallmark pervaded them forever.

In 1972, Álvaro moved to Barcelona to study and created another studio just like his father’s. In 1986 he decided to return to Galicia to go on with his work here, which encouraged all of them to be together again. In 1994 they joined all their experience to create the present Obradoiro de Gaitas Seivane in Cambre (A Coruña). The studio goes on with the work line created by Xosé Manuel enriched and guaranteed by the great amount of bagpipes sold all around the world.